Wednesday, 04 December 2024

Ted Turner

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Contributors 2024
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Sport(s): Baseball Owner, Sailing & International Sports
Statistics: 1 World Series Championship (1995)
Member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame

*1 America’s Cup Win (1977)
*1 5.5m Sailing World Championship Gold Medal (1971)
*3 5.5m Sailing World Championship Silver Medals (1970, 1972 & 1976)

*As a sailor
Ted Turner is best known for his media empire, namely as the creator of CNN and the "superstation," TBS. Turner, who bought the Atlanta Braves in 1976, put his baseball team on TBS, and as TBS went on more cable companies, the Braves were seen nationally regularly, one of the first teams that could say that. He was a hands-on owner initially, so much so that he installed himself as a manager for one game. However, as Turner backed off, he hired a team that would develop a powerhouse squad in the 1990s that were regular post-season participants and the World Series winner in 1995.

Turner was a globalist who believed that sports could unite the world. He developed the Goodwill Games, which was designed to ignore politics as he felt the Olympics had been used as a tool by nations for their own agenda. It lasted from 1986 to 2001.

Turner was also a champion sailor, who won the gold medal 5.5m World Championship in 1971, and three other silvers, but his crowning achievement was defending the America’s Cup in 1977.

Turner at one time also owned the Atlanta Hawks.

We are proud to nominate Ted Turner for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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